Index.



No. 629,214. Patented my la,y |899.

'wl w. slMPsoN.

' '.INDEX,

(Application med Apr. 29, 1898.)

ATTACHAaEALmBE, 91

B o ok In dum f3 saun'anas ULTIM. i5 Tl Tlll I7 l i; f tm lill UNITED STAT-Es PATENT omen.

WILLIAM WARD sIMrsoN, onfnA'r'rLE onnnInMIoI-IIGAN.

INDEX.

f srnerrron'r'ron forming part of Letters Patent No. eeaeignatea Jury 1s, 189e.

application ned spin ze, 139s. j

To a/Zrwhom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM WARD SIMP- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at kBattle Creek, in the county of Calhoun 'and- State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indexes; and Ii do hereby declare the following to beafulh clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to indexes, the object of the ,same being to provide means wherebyv books may be readily supplied with an index' by means of which any subdivisional part of the book may-be quickly and easily referred to.

The .invention consists in the provision of an index sheet or slip which projects beyond the side edges of thepages ofthe book and is" provided with the names of all the subdivisions intowhich the book is divided, grooves `in the edges of the pages extending entirely across the book and connecting the lines leading` from the subdivisional characters on the indexing-sheets, and tabs secured to certain: of the pages projecting beyond the edges thereof and located, respectively,in the groove connecting the corresponding characters on the indexing-sheets on the opposite sides of the book and secured to the pageindicated by said indexing character. v

v T he invention also consists 1n the provisionv side of the cover and upon its opposite face with the indexing characters corresponding with those upon the right-hand .side ofthe y cover, the said projecting'edge of said sheet adapted to be folded over, so that the indexing characters upon one face maybe moved oppositea row of ordinals upon the opposite face, .indicating the number of any particularv book of either the Old or New Testament or the order of any particular subdivision in the book. Y.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-f- Figure l represents a perspective view of a Bible indexed in accordance with my inven- `indexing-sheet.

indexing characters. Vtion would be necessary with books which are Serial No. 6793233. (No model.)

cover having projecting or overlapping flexible edges and with the supplemental indexing-sheet at its center. Fig. 2 is a view illustrating the opposite side of the supplemental Fig. 3 is a view showing the projecting edge of the supplemental indexingsheet folded over for the purpose of indicatv ing the numbers or -ordinals of the books of the Old Testament. Y Fig. 4 is a detail showing a single tab arranged in a groove, made by notching the edges of the leaves of the book.

, Like referencenumerals indicate like parts yin thedifferent views.

descriptionwill have reference particularly' toits use upon a Bible, it should be understood that I do not desire to limit myself to this particular use, as the same is adapted to be employed in connection with other books.

In the drawings the cover l of the book has been shown as provided with projecting or overlapping edges 2 3. Upon the edge 2 at the left ofthe book'when the same is in its open position is applied an indexing sheet or slip 4, containing indexing characters, in the present instance the names of the books of the Old Testament, parallel lines 5 being drawn after each indexing character. Upon the oppsite projecting edge 3 of the cover is located a similar indexing sheet or strip 6, containing theindexing characters 7, in the present instance the names of the books of the New Testament, opposite which are the parallel lines 8. Instead of having the sheets or strips Lland 6 pasted tov the inner surfaces of the projecting edges 2 and 3 of the cover it is obvious that the indexing characters may be printed upon a sheet secured Within the book in any suitable manner and provided with projecting portions which contain said The latter construcnot provided With covers having projecting or overlapping edges. In the` case of a Bible I provide between the Old and New'Testament a supplemental lindexing-sheet 9, which may be readily attached-'in any suitable manner, as by pasting in place, the same having a projecting side edge 10, connected to the main portion of the sheet byastrip of fabric 11, which will enable the same to be folded IOO` over 'v'vithout danger of tearing it from the main portion of the sheet. Upon the front face of the sheet 9, along the projecting edge 10 thereof, are printed or otherwise impressed indexing characters 1 2, corresponding with the indexing characters on the strip or sheet It heretofore referred to, and along the proj-ecting side edge 10 thereof on the rear face of the sheet is printed or otherwise impressed aseries of indexing characters 14, corresponding with the indexing characters 7 on the strip or sheet 6, parallel lines 13 leading from said indexing characters to notches or grooves in the edge of the leaves hereinafter described. The corresponding characters on the strip 4 and upon the front side of the sheet 9 are correspondio gl y loeated,as are the corresponding characters along the edge of the opposite side of the sheet 9 and those upon the strip or sheet (5, the said corresponding characters being connected by a series ofnotches 15, which extend entirely across the book and constitute guide-grooves when the pages of the book rest one upon the other. In the grooves formed by the notches 15 are located tabs 16, which are secured to certain of the pages of the book, project beyond the edges of said pages, and are attached, respectively, to that part which indicates one of the subdivisional parts of the book--as, for example, one of the books of the Bible-and located in the groove which leads to the indexing character corresponding therewith on the indexing-sheet containing said character.

On the back side of the sheet 9 is arranged opposite the indexing characters, which in the present instance are the names of the books ofthe New Testament in regular order, a series of ordinals 17, the same being arranged successively opposite said indexing characters, the object of said ordinals being to provide means whereby the relative order in the book or any one of the subdivisional parts thereof, which are indicated by the characters, may be readily determined. By folding the projecting edge 10 of the sheet 9 over upon the back side of said sheet, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the order in the book of any one of thev subdivisions indicated by the indexing characters 12 may be determined.

The supplemental indexing-sheet 9 will be employed only upon volumes like the Bible, Where tWo separate series of indexes are necessary to be kept. Then the said supplemental sheet is not employed, the 'indexing characters upon the strips or sheets 4 and 6 Willbe the same and will be located in corresponding positions, being also connected by the series of notches 15, constituting grooves which extend entirely across the edges of the leaves.

I am aware that books have been provided before with indexing characters upon projecting portions and comm unicating with grooves leading to the proper subdivisional part of the book; butin all such cases it is necessary to entirely close the book in order to readily refer by the index to any part thereof. With thel book indexed according to my invention any part of it maybe readily and conveniently referred to Without the necessity of closing the pages. The further advantage of extending the grooves entirely across the book is that the saine may be more convenientlyformedthat is, they may be produced by machinery- Whereas when they terminate at a point intermediate of the front and back of the book it is necessary that they be formed by hand. The grooves furnish a channel to guide the linger to the tabs 16. Furthermore, the tabs Will serve their purpose by simply projecting across the grooves Without extending beyond the edges of the leaves of the book.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

1. As a means for indexing books, sheets or strips containing indexing characters at the front and back of the book, projecting beyond the edges of the. leaves thereof, notches in the leaves of the book constituting grooves, which extend entirely across the book and connect the corresponding characters on said indexing-sheets, and tabs in said grooves secured to the pages of the subdivisional parts thereof, and lying in grooves which connect the corresponding indexing characters for said subdivisional part.

2. As a means forindexing Bibles and other books, containing separate main divisional portions, sheets or strips secured in the book projecting beyond the edges of the leaves thereof, constituting the main indexingsheets, and containing subdivisional indexing characters, and a supplemental indexingsheet secured in the book, between the two main divisional parts thereof, the said supplemental sheet having a projecting side edge on the opposite faces of 'which are located subdivision al indexing characters, corresponding respectively to the indexing characters upon the adjacent main indexing-sheet, the said supplemental sheet being further provided upon one face with a series of ordinals arranged successively, opposite the indexing characters thereon, and the projecting edge of said supplemental sheet adapted to be folded over upon the face containing said ordinals, so as to bring the indexing characters upon the opposite face thereof opposite said ordinals, notches in the pages of the book constituting grooves which connect the corresponding indexing parts on said main and supplemental indexing-sheets, and tabs in said grooves secured to the pages of the book opposite the corresponding subdivisional indexing characters on said sheets.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM WARD SIMPSON.

Vitnesses:

ALICE ELLERTON, 'PETER Jouns.

IIO

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